IPPN

.Priorities for Principal Teachers – Parents & Parent Associations

Published: 29 November 2017

Priorities for Principal Teachers – Parents & Parent Associations

The IPPN publication Priorities for Principal Teachers – In Clear Focus aims to empower principals to effectively manage their workload. We started this series focusing on the tasks and responsibilities that tend to fall to school leaders in relation to the children in the school; last week we focused on school staff. This week, we will focus on Parents & Parent Associations and give examples of tasks that can be categorised in the following ways:

Key priorities for the principal
Priorities principals could delegate or share
Other tasks principals should not personally undertake and those the school might agree to ‘de-prioritise for a time’.

We certainly don't have all of the answers and what works in one school may well not work in another. However, in any school, parents want the best for their children, as do teachers for their pupils. Where an effective partnership exists between home and the school, the benefits are clear. Children learn more, behave better and are happier in school. Teachers are more effective when they are supported by parents. Where there is an effective Parent Association in the school, parents can enjoy the support of other parents and they are enabled to meaningfully support the aims of the school.

In relation to prioritising the work relating to the parent body, the following may be a useful starting point for your school:

Key Priorities the Principal Must Do him/herself

Other Priorities – Could Delegate or Share

Other Tasks – Deprioritise / Principal should not need to personally undertake

Develop a positive relationship with parents and encourage involvement in their children’s education (along with all staff)
Be aware that the parent is the primary educator of the child and that the school supports that role
Establish procedures for consulting and communicating with parents, ensuring that they are made fully aware of key school policies
Ensure parents are aware of the optimal time to communicate with the principal and with teachers
Meet with parents and be available to discuss their concerns - by appointment (except in emergency)
Support the setting up of a Parent Association, if none is already set up in the school, should parents desire it.

Provide professional advice on children’s learning and welfare (Led by teachers with support from the principal)

Consult and communicate with parents
Seek notification of the reasons for a child’s absence
Ensure adherence to Parental Complaints Procedure
Attend meetings with parents and professionals/ agencies involved with pupils in the school e.g. NEPS/EWO/Tusla/HSE etc.
Ensure consultation with parents on IEPs (teachers consult; principal signs off)
Organise formal parent/teacher meetings annually
Support school events organised with parents

Make school policies available on request (secretary/school website)
Arrange for the distribution and collection of forms requiring parental consent
Write letters on behalf of parents e.g. custody and access issues (not recommended)
‘Help’ parents to find places in second level schools. (It is not the function of the principal to appraise and compare secondary schools, nor to put pressure on them to accept pupils).

If we are to tackle our own heavy workload to make it more manageable, we need to consider and discuss the priorities for our school and how activities and responsibilities can be delegated amongst the school community. We need to promote the concept of distributed / shared leadership and empower those around us to help develop and take ownership of a shared vision for the school.